Converting to Pellets?

[Titanius]

I must start off by saying if I hadn't come to this site I don't think I'd ever have given a second thought to feeding Jasper seeds. My parakeets had always loved it and the pet shop people never said otherwise.

Now from what I've learned I can see pellets is the healthier route. The fact that the seed mix I bought with the bird has a crazy amount of sunflower seeds didn't help the either.I ordered some of it(the pellets) in the mail and it should be coming pretty soon. But I was wondering if anyone had a game plan for introducing it to a picky parrot? I've tried grapes and apples with Jasper but all he's ever done is touch them with his beak and then given me a dirty look.

Are pellets any less attractive to a parrot? It's obviously healthy food but is it just as appealing to the bird? My game plan was to just give it to him when he's pretty hungry but I don't want to starve him since he might just ignore it as much as he did with the fruit. Ideas ?

[bmsweb]

This is how I did my Pellet Conversion and it worked great.

[Michael]

Actually, the more I've worked with and talked to people about cockatiel/budgie diets, the more convinced I am that they should eat pellets either in moderation or not at all. For the larger parrots pellets are more important and perhaps if budgies/cockatiels could be properly weened onto pellets it might be ok. But the way they are raised on seeds makes them too difficult/risky to switch to pellets.

Ask Mona. Her cockatiel was switched to pellets and developed a liver condition I think. While larger parrots appear to benefit from the pellets, the benefit to cockatiels/budgies is uncertain. The transition to pellets is too difficult and stressful with them. I am starting to strongly believe that it isn't even worth it to do it for them. You can offer some pellets from time to time as well as the fresh foods, but leaving seed as the base is basically your only safe choice.

EDIT: Here's the post where Mona described the issue with pellets for cockatiels

[bmsweb]

Ask Mona. Her cockatiel was switched to pellets and developed a liver condition I think. While larger parrots appear to benefit from the pellets, the benefit to cockatiels/budgies is uncertain.

Thanks for the heads up Michael, I will look into it.

[Michael]

Yeah, I don't know the extent of this but I've heard enough about it that I think it is important for cockatiel owners to look into. If you want to ask her, start a post about the topic and I'll email her and ask her to share her story about it. I haven't seen her on the forum for a while but she knows about this quite well.

[bmsweb]

Interestingly the method show in the video worked perfectly for the Conures and now even when they have seed in the cage and still favor the Pellets, yet our Cockatiel shows a major preference towards seeds, so I haven't forced it with him as yet and I think I might hold off for now.

I'll do some research tonight and then ask Mona for some more info.

[TheNzJessie]

i was thinking about switching my budgie onto pellets but thanks for that info michael i think it is now safer to just leave him on his seed and fresh food diet hes not just on this plain budgie seed its got oats vitamin peeves and dried fruit in (bananas apple chick peas) the only thing i dont like about the mix is the oats are colored but he does seem more lively since i switched him to the varied mix

[TheNzJessie]

this is what i just found
Packaged Foods
Choose small packages of budgie seed blends for the freshest seed options. Seed in bulk bins might be more cost effective but are often stale, riddled with bugs and rarely sanitized. Avoid packaged foods with fattening fillers such as hulled oats. Pellet-based budgie diets are less fattening than seeds and offer more complete nutrition. The processed diet is entirely consumable, unlike a seed diet with leftover hulls. Grit should also be offered to aid in digestion.

now im confused.....since when were oats not good? should i stop listening to my avian vet and bird lady (Breeds birds for 76 years)

ands this article states pellets are good....

and also this article form another source which sounds a bit more like what michael is saying about pellets and smaller birds

Pellet Food for Budgerigars
When purchasing a pellet food for a budgie, it is important to chose a brand that is specifically designed for a budgerigar. Different birds have different dietary needs, and so pelleted foods are balanced differently depending on the species that it was designed for. Unlike many other species of pet bird, which require a mainly pellet diet, the budgie should be fed a 50/50 diet of pellet and seeds.

Seeds for the Budgerigar
Budgies need seeds in their diet, but they must be the right kind of seeds. Mostly, captive budgies feed on millet and other small seeds. They should not be given a seed mixture meant for a larger bird. There are also seed treats on the market that can be given to a budgie, making them work a little bit to free the seeds before eating them.

[Marnie]

on anther note... when i got my Senegal she was totally pellets (roudybush). it looked like a dish of gravel to me. nothing exciting there. i have never had a bird on pellets.
i went and bought a nice cockatiel seed mix to add to her pellets for some variety. well you probably know the rest, she does not eat the pellets any more.
i add corn on the cob, fresh veggies, some whole wheat pita with a bit of chunky natural peanut butter, on it and usually a taste of whatever we are having. she gets one peanut in the shell every other day as she loves the fun of shelling it. she also loves to shred dandelions and especially the flowers. i give these to my keets too.
i am sure pellets are a wonderful way to give your bird complete nutition the easy way. it for our convenience, but from the birds point of view? i don't think so, they love variety and the joy of trying new foods. just like us!

[Michael]

I think the Senegal Parrot would be better off with the pellets.